Reconciling with narcissistic parent.

[Anonymous]

Learning about healthy boundaries is critical. It’s one of the hardest things all around.

What people hear seem to ignore is that family dysfunction repeats itself from one generation to the next, no matter how determined you are to avoid it.

I guarantee you, your deranged parent ALSO came from a dysfunctional family. And so it goes...

Children should have some relationship with their grandparents, if at all possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you rekindle the relationship? You sound like you dislike her so what’s the point?

The children perhaps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Learning about healthy boundaries is critical. It’s one of the hardest things all around.

What people hear seem to ignore is that family dysfunction repeats itself from one generation to the next, no matter how determined you are to avoid it.

I guarantee you, your deranged parent ALSO came from a dysfunctional family. And so it goes...

Children should have some relationship with their grandparents, if at all possible.

You're sort of contradicting yourself there, PP. What matters is that each generation is aware of the mental health of the previous one and does its best to prevent and treat their own tendencies to certain disorders. My mother has deep-seated anxiety and operates under heightened feelings of shame and social taboos because of her upbringing. I am doing better than she is, and my kids will do better than me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you rekindle the relationship? You sound like you dislike her so what’s the point?

The children perhaps.

Right. Let’s expose the children to crazy, toxic people and teach them to devalue their own feelings while walking on eggshells around people who will trample other’s feelings. Good lesson for the children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Learning about healthy boundaries is critical. It’s one of the hardest things all around.

What people hear seem to ignore is that family dysfunction repeats itself from one generation to the next, no matter how determined you are to avoid it.

I guarantee you, your deranged parent ALSO came from a dysfunctional family. And so it goes...

Children should have some relationship with their grandparents, if at all possible.

You're sort of contradicting yourself there, PP. What matters is that each generation is aware of the mental health of the previous one and does its best to prevent and treat their own tendencies to certain disorders. My mother has deep-seated anxiety and operates under heightened feelings of shame and social taboos because of her upbringing. I am doing better than she is, and my kids will do better than me.

Is she South Asian by any chance?